News & Insight

ELIZABETH BRODERICK

Legal and Violence against Women

Elizabeth has brought together captains of industry, governments and Defence Force chiefs to address gender inequality in Australia and beyond.

As Australia’s longest serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner (2007-2015), Elizabeth worked tirelessly to break down structural and social barriers faced by women and men, and to promote gender equality.

A key advocate for Australia’s paid parental leave scheme, Elizabeth influenced changes to regulations to increase the numbers of women at decision-making level, and to elevate the voices of women in marginalised communities.

She also established and convenes the globally recognised ‘Male Champions of Change’ strategy, enlisting a ‘who’s who’ of powerful male leaders to tackle workplace gender inequality. Her review into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force led to sweeping cultural reforms. She is a powerful and influential voice in the struggle for gender equality, enlisting both women and men as agents of change.

Elizabeth is Special Advisor to the Executive Director of UN Women on Private Sector Engagement, and Global Co-Chair of UN Global Compact’s Women’s Empowerment Principles Leadership Group. She is a member of the Australian Defence Force Gender Equality Advisory Board, the Australian Rugby Union Board, and formerly a member of the World Bank Gender Advisory Council. She is Senior Advisor to the Australian Federal Police Commissioneron cultural change.

In 2016 Elizabeth was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia and was named 2016 NSW Australian of the Year. She holds Honorary Doctorates of Law from the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, and the University of Technology Sydney.